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ABSTRACT
This article seeks to illustrate the outcome of entering partnerships with open and flexible goals and lines of communication. Two unique, long-term partnerships at a medium-sized, regional museum of art and science are described, with details of the impact of these partnerships and different audiences served. Using current research on best practices for community partnerships and anecdotal information, the article outlines ways to enter open communication with community partners and what to expect out of long-term partnerships.
Funding questions
Funding is a pressing issue for any non-profit organization. The history of how the B1C and Bruce partnership was funded is an example of the creative and flexible thinking necessary for a long-term partnership. Initially, the Bruce paid for the programs being held at B1C and used internal funds for the annual field trip. In the second year of the partnership, B1C and the Bruce applied for a grant from Generation Innovation and were awarded funding for the afterschool STEAM Club. This funding stretched into the third year of the partnership due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the partnership has entered its fourth year, B1C has taken over fiscal responsibility, having written the STEAM Club into its annual budget. Although both organizations continue to look for future sources of funding, it is confidence-inspiring to know that both members equally value the partnership.
Evolving needs
Both organizations have continued to evolve and grow over the years, and the partnership has changed as the needs of both organizations change. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed as if the partnership would need to be on pause. After taking a three-month hiatus, the staff at B1C and the Bruce met to discuss how we could restart the STEAM Club. After much discussion, both parties decided that the club could begin again, in person, at B1C. By rearranging the space to provide each student with room for social distancing, and by managing student materials, the STEAM Club was able to begin again in August 2020. Both organizations were able to work together to bring the partnership back to life, and to offer students the educational enrichment and interpersonal interaction that they had been missing.
The partnership between the Bruce and B1C is one that has borne fruit for both organizations. For the Bruce Museum, this partnership has provided access to a previously unconnected community, accurate translations of public and private materials, and a strong and ongoing afterschool program. For B1C, the partnership has provided their clients with a consistent STEAM program for students, an enrichment outlet during the pandemic, regular visits for all members to a local cultural center, and access to the Museum’s resources. Lorely Peche, Family and Individual Services Manager at B1C, said of the partnership, “Our work with the Bruce Museum allows low-income immigrant children to gain access — through the STEAM Club — to new ideas and experiences that will foster their interest in careers in science, engineering, and technology. Our common objective is to help children in our community earn, eventually, university degrees and obtain jobs in STEAM fields.” By working as a team, rather than in a client/provider context, staff from both organizations have created a balanced and nuanced partnership that allows both organizations space to grow and reflect.
Partnership with Greenwich Senior Center
The second partnership discussed in this article is between the Bruce Museum and the Greenwich Senior Center. The Bruce and the Senior Center are neighbors, located less than half a mile apart. Both organizations are housed in spaces owned by the Town of Greenwich, while being operated independently of town governance. With these similarities in mind, and with the viewpoint that both organizations serve the Greenwich community, the Bruce reached out to the Senior Center in 2019 to see how we could begin working together formally. This initial meeting focused on understanding the needs of both organizations, and how they might compliment and support one another.Footnote12
Initially, it was unclear how the two organizations might work together, as it seemed that any partnerships would simply duplicate efforts. The Senior Center offers many art classes already and has an established roster of teaching artists and educators who offer programming at the Center. The Senior Center’s audience is already familiar with the Bruce: The Museum has partnerships with many local assisted living centers and offers a variety of well-attended tours and educational programs for older adults.
Through the initial planning discussion, both partners discovered areas of need: the Bruce had no art workshop offerings for adults and the Senior Center needed speakers who could present on fine art and the natural sciences. At first it was unclear how these two needs could complement each other; the Senior Center already had many workshop offerings, and the Bruce already hosted talks and panel discussions on the arts. It seemed foolish to replicate efforts or programs already in existence. Through open discussion, some specific areas that each organization could support the other were identified. While the Senior Center had many adult workshops, none were focused on watercolor painting, and while the Bruce had a strong calendar of scholarly talks and panels, none were held during the day. By identifying these areas of need the partnership was able to develop a series of adult watercolor workshops at the Bruce, and an after-lunch lecture series at the Senior Center.
A partnership begins
This plan benefited both organizations and fulfilled needs on both sides of the partnership. Speakers at the lunch lecture series consisted of full-time Museum staff and teaching artists who were leading the upcoming senior workshops. The after-lunch lecture series provided a chance to inform community members about projects and programs at the Museum, such as lectures, panel discussions, and special exhibition events, not just the Senior Workshops. Attendance at the after-lunch lectures was always full, timed as they were to coincide with lunch service at the Senior Center café. The adult workshops at the Bruce were also full, with over 35% of attendees coming directly from the Senior Center. The Museum was able to host six months of workshops before the COVID-19 pandemic put in-person workshops and after-lunch meetings on pause.
A fly in the ointment
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the Senior Center and the Bruce Museum had to pause and reset. The Senior Center could no longer host any of their clients in person; all their public spaces were closed. Meanwhile, the Bruce also could no longer host in-person workshops and had to close its galleries temporarily. Although it took some time to reconfigure plans and programs, the Bruce was soon able to offer art workshops remotely and to expand the offerings from senior workshops to adult workshops, giving rise to a new series: Bruce Inspires. The Senior Center, unable to host their members in person, turned to a virtual model for programming, and a drive-by model for the weekly lunch service: Senior Center members who registered for lunch would drive-by the center to pick up a pre-packaged brown bag meal.
Initially, it seemed like the pandemic had put a long pause on this partnership, but an open conversation helped both organizations realize there was a different way to maintain the partnership. A Bruce staff member would assist with handing out the weekly brownbag lunches, and part of their role would be stuffing the lunch bags with flyers. These flyers included promotional information about upcoming events, exhibitions, and remote workshops at the Bruce. Almost immediately the remote workshops saw a boost in attendance from Senior Center members, corresponding with the flyer handouts. The Bruce’s Marketing Department got involved and featured the partnership in a “Community Partner Corner” press release, which was picked up by local papers, and the Senior Center was able to get local press coverage for the volunteer-driven brownbag lunches.
Meeting changing needs
This partnership continues to benefit both organizations on multiple levels, and within many departments – not only the Audience Engagement and Activities departments, but also Marketing and Communications for both organizations. A Senior Center Program Specialist, Lynn Mason, had this to say: “Our partnership with the Bruce Museum has been enormously beneficial to all our members, artists and non-artists alike. Our members have enjoyed programs here at our center that the Bruce Museum has generously offered, as well as joining programs, classes, and tours at the Museum. Community connection is a central mission of our Senior Center and our partnership with the Bruce Museum has provided a wonderful avenue for furthering this work.”
As life begins to return to a semblance of normality, the Senior Center and Bruce are still partnering together. Groups from the Senior Center will be visiting the Bruce to view the new permanent science galleries and attend private lectures given by members of the Museum’s Exhibition Department. This type of ongoing collaboration will bear fruit for years, as new ways of working together and new areas of need and expertise are discovered. For example, as the Bruce is under construction, future workshops are being planned to be held in the Senior Center’s educational spaces, led by Bruce Museum staff. By continuing to meet, have open and honest discussion of both organizations’ needs, and being open to new ideas, both organizations have been able to get more out of this partnership than was initially anticipated. While there have been bumps in the road, mostly due to COVID and construction, staying true to the established framework for best practices has prevented the partnership from becoming derailed.
What was learned
Working with community partners can and should have beneficial results. It is important for all involved to be open to a variety of potential benefits, not just those initially anticipated. Most partnerships start with clear and specific goals in mind, but these goals need to be flexible so that they accommodate change and allow for unexpected benefits.Footnote13 For all non-profits, a basic checklist or framework of best practices for community partnerships should be developed and implemented. Such frameworks should include principles for selecting the appropriate partners, setting clear but flexible expectations, planning frequent meetings and check-ins with staff and clients, conducting ongoing evaluations of both partners’ needs and assets, and determining when to bring in team members from other departments. The short-term outcomes of the partnerships outlined in this article – access to new audiences, stronger attendance at programs, and access to translations – represent only the beginning of what strong partnerships can make possible.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many assumptions of what goes into a partnership to change. For both the Bruce and its partners, the process of reconceiving programming and reengaging our audiences has been improved by working together. As we look towards the future, it is with the knowledge that community partnerships will be fundamental to any non-profit’s continued success, and instrumental in keeping the Bruce Museum a vital and active member of the community.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Renewing NSF, Appendix. https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21202/nsf21202.pdf (accessed December 8, 2021).
2 Ibid.
3 McCarthy and Herring, “Museum and Community Partnerships,” 7.
4 Carter and Doctors, “Small Museums and Community Partnerships,” 287.
5 Bruce Museum Homepage, About Us. https://brucemuseum.org/site/about_us.
10 Borun, Garelik, and Kelly, “Museum Community Partnerships,” 13.
11 Carter and Doctors, “Small Museums and Community Partnerships,” 289.
12 Borun, Garelik, and Kelly, “Museum Community Partnerships,” 13.
13 Carter and Doctors, “Small Museums and Community Partnerships,” 290.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Corinne Flax
Corinne Flax is Manager of School and Community Partnerships at the Bruce Museum, but wherever she works she brings the spirit and enthusiasm of Museum Education. A graduate of the Museum Education program at the Bank Street College of Education, she was drawn to this field by the chance to introduce diverse audiences to the magic of museums. Throughout her career Corinne has stayed current with advances in the field and has published work in New England Museums Now and the Journal of Museum Education.